


Never Made a Good Impression

by estei



Series: A cats and dogs love song [1]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 09:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5921524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estei/pseuds/estei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chuck knows what he's about - he's interning at one of the most prestigious architecture firms in Chicago (the fact that its his step-dad's firm is immaterial) and he doesn't have time for drama or bullshit. </p><p>Which does not explain why he can't stop thinking about his boss's dumb brother, or more accurately, the dumb brother's cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Made a Good Impression

With the sixth sense of someone used to taking a lot of shit from his colleagues, Chuck knew he was in for a long day as soon as he walked into the office. On the surface, all appeared to be well. Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the hum of the air system promising a cool respite from the humidity outside and dust motes danced beneath the impressive oak beams that crossed the ceiling of the open concept office.

Chuck worked for one of the most prestigious architecture firms in Chicago, one of the privileged few to get an internship with Pentecost and Associates. And he did feel privileged to have his own desk, small and cluttered that it was, in this sprawling room, but his position as a lowly intern was under-pinned even further by his relationship with the Pentecost of Pentecost and Associates. Dealing with suspicions of nepotism came with the territory when one’s step-dad had his name on the door. Not that ol’ Stacks went easy on him, if anything Chuck bore more scrutiny than some of the senior associates dealt with, and he suspected that there wasn’t anyone in the office who didn’t know that.

Certainly the senior associate he reported to seemed to understand the score, and Chuck had immediately liked Yancy Becket if only for that reason. After six months of working with the senior, he’d come to respect the bloke’s skill, intelligence, and ability to sass the clients with enough subtlety to get away with it, even when Stacks was looking. Chuck knew from the classmates who still spoke with him, the ones who hadn’t chucked a wobbly over his placement, that he was uncommonly lucky in this regard. Sure, Becket threw him the scut work he didn’t have the time for, but he was always trying to make sure that Chuck was included in the big meetings, in the actual project and design work. Maybe most importantly, he never once treated Chuck like the boss’s kid. Honestly, when it came to that the big joke around the office was that Stacks might one day just up and adopt Becket himself. Becket took it in good humour, which Chuck knew he could stand to take notes on, but there was no doubt that Pentecost’s legendary stern façade would obviously soften when Becket was involved.

Except for that one poorly thought out team building exercise in the spring. Who knew Stacks took bowling so seriously?

But on this particular morning, it was Becket who tipped Chuck that his day may be already taking a turn. The blond was scowling, talking on the phone while Tendo lingered beside his desk, smirking in that way that always meant trouble.

“Raleigh, tell me this is a joke. Tell me that you do not seriously expect me to leave work for this when you know we’re submitting an RFP this week for the music conservatory retrofit.” Becket sounded stern, a tone he normally only took with shady contractors and people who didn’t remove their backpacks whilst on public transit. It was practically unheard of for him to take such a tone with his younger brother; a tragedy of a human being whom Chuck had the misfortune of meeting only once in six months, but he’d witnessed more than one occasion of Becket having to console the oaf over the phone. It was a distraction, and Chuck felt truly sorry for Becket, having to deal with it. Certainly the man deserved better, and it was a little gratifying to see him to stand, even if it meant he’d be in a strop the whole day.

Chuck was just settling in to this chair, coffee on the left of his keyboard and setting his fine-tip pens on the right, when he realized that his day was going to be even worse than he’d anticipated.

“Send Chuck,” Tendo said, and when Becket didn’t immediately respond, he reached out and jabbed the bloke in the shoulder.

“Ow, Tendo, what?” Becket snapped, “No, hang on, Raleigh.”

“Send Chuck,” Tendo repeated, and Becket turned and stared at Chuck, biting on his lower lip as he seemed to honestly consider the suggestion.

“Whoa,” Chuck held his hands up, as if to defend himself from whatever evil Tendo was plotting underneath his absurd pompadour.

“Listen, Rals, I’ll see what I can do. I gotta go. Yes. Yes. Bye.” Becket’s voice gentled slightly as he wound down the call, and he seemed fractionally less pissed off as he turned his full attention to his intern. “I have a huge favor to ask.”

Becket didn’t quite have the hang of telling people what to do, so his huge favors often involved simple tasks he didn’t have time for, but inexplicably felt guilty assigning to someone else. Normally Chuck would wave off the concern and jump in, but this time… any favor involving the bloke’s dipshit little brother fell way beyond the job description.

“Oi, listen mate-“ he tried to forestall the inevitable, but Becket had this pleading look in his eye that Chuck was not immune to and he didn’t protest over much when Becket interrupted him.

“I will really, really owe you one. And it won’t take long. I was just going to get you to do some reading this morning anyway, there’s not much else you can help with until we get the go-ahead for the hospital project.”

“Just spit it out already, yeah?” Chuck sighed, fully resigned to whatever awful scenario was about to come tumbling out.

“I was supposed to drop some stuff at Raleigh’s this morning on my way to work but I totally forgot and apparently it’s a category five emergency.” Becket seemed to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes, and Tendo just made the dopey face he always did when he thought Becket was being particularly precious about his brother. It was Tendo after all who had purchased the “World’s Best Brother” mug that sat on Becket’s desk.

The plastic shopping bag Becket gestured at seemed fairly benign, but there was always the question of where he was going. Chuck happened to know that Becket had recently purchased a bungalow in La Grange, hard to miss when Stacker kept finding excuses to bring it up over dinner. The man was plenty chuffed that Becket had taken his recommendation to look for real estate in their area, and seemed to enjoy chatting with the bloke about their similar commuting experiences.

“So I’m to be a delivery service, then?” Chuck asked, not quite bothered but happy to make a show of it. The more he complained, the more grateful Becket would be, after all.

“Yes, and I’m so sorry, just, it isn’t that far. Rals lives in Humboldt Park and you can take my car.” Becket paused here, looking at Chuck suspiciously. “You, uh, have your license I assume?”

“Yes,” Chuck said, and his irritation at the question was a good way to mask his surprise. Humboldt Park didn’t have quite the same reputation these days when it came to crime, but it was a bit surprising to hear that the younger Becket lived there if the older one could afford a decent enough place in La Grange.

“Perfect, thank you so much.” Becket shoved the bag and a set of keys toward him, and though Chuck hadn’t actually agreed to this favor, he figured it was better than sitting around reading case studies when the rest of them actually got to ply the trade.

“You owe me,” he said sternly.

“Absolutely,” Becket nodded, but Chuck could tell he was already thinking of the next ten things he had to do and so Chuck spared a longing glance at the shiny coffee maker in the corner, grabbed his messenger bag and whistled his way back out of the office.

* * *

 

Finding Becket Jr.’s apartment building was fairly easy considering Chuck had never been to this particular neighborhood, but a parking space for his boss’s car turned out to be a total hassle and so by the time Chuck made it to the front step he was starting to feel legitimately aggravated. Knowing that he would soon have to make conversation with Becket Jr. wasn’t really improving his mood.

So Chuck could hold a grudge, that wasn’t news to anyone, and the bloke really had made an appalling first impression. Within five minutes of being introduced he had summarily dismissed Chuck’s very existence and to add insult to injury had then proceeded to spill cold coffee in his lap. Not to mention the sheer amount of sad phone calls the older Becket seemed to field was enough to make Chuck grateful he was an only child. Well, an only child with a brilliant step-sister who could probably be ruling the free world by time tea if she set her sights to it. He really ought to ring Mako, see how her publishing internship in London was going. He missed her around the house.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Chuck fairly leaned on the buzzer, and smirked a little when a sharp “yes” spit out of the speaker.

“Oi, it’s Chuck.” He said, and scowled when the door failed to open.

“Who?”

“Seriously?” Chuck huffed. “Did your brother not mention I was coming?”

“My brother… Chuck? Yancy’s intern?” The incredulous tone was easy to discern even over the crackle and Chuck was about two seconds from throwing the bag to the ground and storming off when the door buzzed and unlocked.

“Fucking wanker,” he muttered under his breath as he heaved the big door open and stepped into the building. It was nice, pre-war and obviously well preserved, and he tried to focus on cataloguing details instead of his growing ire. He ignored the old elevator and took the stairs instead and cleared the third floor landing in time to hear a lock turn and see the door to 304 crack open.

Raleigh Becket was just as gorgeous as the last time Chuck had clapped eyes on the bastard, and just as rumpled. Did the bloke sleep in his clothes, or what? He looked exhausted, and Chuck stepped back a little. Was he sick, contagious? Because Chuck was not getting germed up by the idiot, no matter how good he looked.

“God, I’m so sorry, I had no idea Yance would send you.” Raleigh stepped back into the apartment and Chuck had no choice but to follow. He didn’t bother to hide his curious gaze, it was a nice place; high ceilings, crown moldings and a transom window in the living room with furniture that obviously wasn’t high end, but complemented the space with clean lines and a neutral gray palette.

“I wasn’t really busy,” Chuck admitted, feeling a bit more charitable since Raleigh clearly recognized what a prat he’d been. “Anyway, here’s… whatever you needed so urgently.” He held out the bag and shifted on his feet once Raleigh had taken it. “Well…”

“I, uh, just made some coffee. Can I at least offer you a cup for coming all the way over here?” Raleigh looked really damn earnest, and Chuck hadn’t had his morning caffeine boost yet…

“Why not? Don’t think the office will miss me,” Chuck shrugged. Truth be told, he was curious now. Raleigh set the mysterious bag down on an end table and gestured for Chuck to have a seat. There was a soft looking throw blanket bunched on one end of the couch, so Chuck perched on the other end.

“Do you take milk or sugar?” Raleigh called, presumably from the kitchen.

“Just a splash of milk, thanks,” Chuck replied, and moments later Raleigh shuffled back into view, a steaming mug in each hand. He carefully offered one to Chuck before setting his own down next to the bag.

“I really appreciate you bringing this stuff over,” he said as he sat down next to the blanket pile and untied the handles of the shopping bag. Chuck felt his eyebrows jump as the bloke laid a disheveled collection of yarn across his lap and then proceeded to pull out a felt bird and bag of _cat treats_.

What. The. Fuck.

Before he could say a word the blanket next to Raleigh shifted and he damned near spilled his coffee in shock when a cat trundled up onto Raleigh’s lap all the while mewling piteously.

“Hey, see, here’s your blanket, buddy,” Raleigh crooned, stroking a hand down the thing’s back. Chuck wasn’t exactly an expert, but this little guy didn’t seem to be in good shape. A grey tabby with a medium length coat, his movements were slow and laborious and his thick fur looked a bit mangy.

“Nice cat,” Chuck offered, and was not at all prepared for the way those blue eyes started watering.

“Oh, thanks,” Raleigh said, voice wobbling almost as much as the damn cat, but so fucking genuine. “I’ve had him for a long time, twelve years or so now.” The tabby turned enough to nudge Raleigh’s hand, clearly demanding ear scratches. The bloke huffed out a laugh and obliged the thing, long fingers scratching through fur. A low, contented rumble started up, and Chuck couldn’t help but smile, too.

“What’s his name, then?” He asked.

“Taco,” Raleigh said, and then blushed at Chuck’s expression. “I was fourteen; it seemed cool at the time. Also, kind of appropriate since I found him in a dumpster behind Taco Bell.”

“Jesus,” Chuck said, frowning at the idea of some asshole putting a little kitten in the trash. But before he could spend too much time ruminating on the idea of a teenaged Raleigh playing kitten savior, he began to put the clues together in regards to the morning’s important errand. “He’s twelve, huh?”

“Yeah,” Raleigh looked down at his lap, seemingly unable to meet Chuck’s gaze. “His kidneys haven’t been doing that great, and now…” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “It’s not about the money, even if it is a little embarrassing to admit that the medical supplies you’re ordering are for cat dialysis, but… he’s in pain.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, mate,” Chuck was starting to really regret accepting that cup of coffee. Delicious as it may be, they were in some serious emotional territory, and if there was anything guaranteed to pierce his asshole armor, it was a cute pet with a sob story.

“You just came across town to deliver my cat’s blanket, I think you’re owed an explanation.” Raleigh said dryly. “I don’t have a car, so Yance drove me to the vet yesterday and I forgot a bunch of stuff in the backseat. And I know it seems dumb, but I wanted him to have his favorite things on his last day.”

“Naw, that doesn’t seem dumb.” Chuck cleared his throat. “Max, my dog, if it was him, when it’s him, there won’t be an expense spared.”

“Yeah. They’re just always there, right?” Raleigh shrugged.

“Always happy to see ya,” Chuck agreed, and couldn’t help but think of Max’s doggie smile and slobbery kisses.

“It’s gonna be so weird, coming home tomorrow without him.” Raleigh said softly, and Chuck was almost overwhelmed with the urge to reach out and touch the other man, offer comfort somehow. Hard to believe that just half an hour ago he couldn’t stand the bloke, and now he wanted to give the sorry sap a hug. Then Raleigh seemed to shake himself out of his fog. “Jesus, I am so sorry. You don’t need to stay and listen to me cry about my cat.”

“S’alright,” Chuck said, even though it wasn’t, not really, but the idea of leaving Raleigh alone like this just didn’t sit right. “Uh, gotta finish my coffee, right?” He lifted the mug gamely and took a sip. It was damn good coffee.

“You’re sweet,” Raleigh smiled, and Chuck felt his cheeks flame. He certainly wasn’t used to hearing that sort of compliment, and definitely not from another bloke, but he found he didn’t mind it so much. Maybe liked it, a bit, coming from Raleigh, with his soft smile and sad blue eyes.

“So, you know I work with your brother, but I don’t think I caught what you do.” Chuck said, and Raleigh seemed to brighten.

“Oh, right. Yancy talks about you a lot, so I forgot we don’t actually know each other.”

“Right, we’ve only met the once, and, uh…” Chuck filed away the Yancy thing for later, but wasn’t sure how to characterize their one meeting now that he was feeling so much more generous towards the bloke.

“Oh my god, when I spilled my coffee all over,” Raleigh covered his eyes with one hand, the other not pausing from the kitty ministrations. “Fuck, which was so embarrassing. And I have nothing to say for myself, really. I mean, I was totally zonked. I’m a social worker, I work with kids who have encounters with the justice system, and one of the kids was in crisis so I spent the whole night talking with her and her parents at the centre and then walking them through the paperwork with her P.O. when the office opened and I just… should not have been in public. I’m so sorry.”

“A social worker?” Chuck said, as all of his assumptions about the younger Becket are summarily upended by one confused apology.

“Yeah. I got my masters here when Yancy got the job with Stacker. I’ve been working with a youth justice agency since I graduated two years ago. It’s tough, you know? Hard to explain to people, what you see, the bureaucracies you have to fight with to try and help these kids, and there are so many confidentiality issues. And, I know Yance worries. He thinks I should be doing something else with my degree, you know, get into private counseling or something.” Raleigh shrugged, and Chuck tried to buy himself time to absorb all that by taking another long draw of coffee. It was starting to cool down now, easily gulp-able.

“Sounds intense,” Chuck admitted.

“I guess that’s way I got so attached to this little guy,” Raleigh rubbed his thumb across a little furred cheek. “He’s a good listener.”

“I know all about that, mate.” Chuck said quietly, thinking about all the nights curled up with Max, pressing his hot face into that velvety scruff when things got too overwhelming. He was a little dismayed to realize that his mug was empty, and with no excuse to linger, he clapped a hand on his thigh. “Well, thanks for the coffee. I’m glad I could help. Really,” he held Raleigh’s gaze, and then pushed to his feet. “I’ll let myself out, yeah? You two look pretty cozy.”

“Thanks Chuck,” Raleigh murmured, relaxing back into the couch cushions.

“No worries, mate.” Chuck smiled, and left.

* * *

 

By the time Chuck made it back to the office Yancy was ensconced in Stacker’s office on what appeared to be a conference call from hell, so Chuck just dropped the car keys on his desk and started in on his reading. He didn’t really have a chance to speak with Becket for the rest of the day, it seemed that things were really heating up on the conservatory project, and when Stacker and Chuck left at 6 pm there was no sign that Yancy or the other seniors would be following any time soon.

Herc had convinced Chuck that it would be a good idea to move back into the house when he returned to Chicago for his internship, at least for the first year while he saved money, and Chuck could admit that it had been the right call. After five years apart, he and his father got on much better, and there was Max to consider, who had forgiven Chuck’s absence immediately by claiming a spot in his bed.

Another benefit was free transportation to and from work. As usual, the drive home was quiet, with the odd harrumph from Stacker whenever he chose to opine on the NPR broadcast the radio was set to. Chuck felt like part of him was still in Humboldt Park, listening to Taco’s rumbling purr and Raleigh’s soft voice, watching the sky turn orange as the sun went down.

“Awful quiet today,” Herc commented when they were all sitting down at the dining room table, Max a warm weight across his feet.

“Nothing to say, I suppose,” Chuck said with a little shrug. He was careful to keep his tone mild, five years had done a lot to dull the edges Chuck’s teenage years had left, but still, didn’t hurt to be cautious.

“I noticed Mr. Becket had you run an errand this morning,” Stacker said, taking a sip of his Malbec as he met Chuck’s gaze.

“Er, yeah. He was busy, and I had the time,” Chuck poked at his roast beef, strangely reluctant to share the morning’s encounter. He wasn’t sure how to explain it, how much it had touched him, Raleigh Becket and his dying cat. He wondered what they were doing right now, if Taco had a favorite place to curl up for the night, if Raleigh would sleep at all.

He wouldn’t, if it was Max.

“Everything okay?” Herc pressed, just a little, and Chuck forced a smile.

“Just tired, I think,” he said.

Chuck was more than a little surprised to see Yancy and Tendo standing next to the coffee maker when he walked in the next morning. He’d definitely gotten the impression that Taco’s… appointment was earlier in the day, and so he might have an ulterior motive in bypassing his normal settling in ritual to move to the bistro corner, as it was so nicknamed.

“I’m not being insensitive, I just don’t get it. I mean, Tendo, come on, it’s just a cat. For crissakes, he didn’t act this upset when our mother died,” Yancy muttered, and stared back unrepentantly when Tendo raised his eyebrows.

“I can’t tell if you’re being deliberately obtuse or if you really are this clueless,” Tendo pondered.

“What’s wrong with taking a cab to the vet?” Yancy demanded, fists set on his hips. Tendo was a brave, bow-tie wearing son-of-a-bitch because Chuck didn’t know many people willing to tangle with Becket in this mood.

“Nothing, if it’s a routine visit, gets a little sad if you’re going there to euthanize a beloved pet. You know what, you don’t deserve this mug.” Tendo said, grabbing Yancy’s “World’s Best Brother” mug, emptying its contents into the sink, and whoa, Chuck did not know Choi had it in him. Chuck was starting to think it might be time to duck and take cover, but he’d never really been smart about picking battles and the like.

“Are you-“ Yancy’s face was turning redder by the second and then his laser eyes spied Chuck, standing just behind Tendo, and his whole expression went blank. Chuck barely had time to panic before he realized that he wasn’t the person who’d taken the wind out of his boss’s sails.

“Gentlemen,” Stacker said mildly.

“Good morning, sir,” Tendo fairly beamed. Yancy seemed to be trying for a smile, but mostly just succeeded in looking constipated. Stacker let the silence hang, and then turned on one heel and walked away, apparently having said all he needed to.

Chuck was happy to use the distraction to slink back to his own desk. He started his computer and checked his email and subscription alerts by rote. Nothing of importance had come in, and nothing would for another week, not for Chuck. So he was free to brush up on his reading, to practice his drawings, run some test modeling, and mope about a man he barely knew and his tabby cat.

“Ugh, what’s happened to you,” Chuck mumbled to himself as he pushed out of his chair and crossed the room to Stacker’s office, with its glass walls it was the only thing approaching a closed space on the floor, aside from the loo, and he leaned on the open doorframe, tapping his knuckles lightly.

“Yes, Chuck?” Stacker looked up from his monitor, giving his whole attention in a way that Chuck had always appreciated. Right now, though, he could maybe do without the man’s full attention.

“I was wondering if I could have the morning off? And, uh, borrow your car.” Chuck said quickly, and moved to stand straight when Stacker paused to remove his glasses. The gesture felt very _meaningful_.

“And why do you need the morning off, and my car?”

“It’s for a friend,” Chuck explained. “His cat is getting put down today.”

“A friend,” Stacker leaned back in his chair. “I see. Well, if Mr. Becket can spare you, I have no issue with it.”

There was a hint of a reprimand there, Chuck was supposed to talk to Yancy about these things, not Stacker, but under the circumstances having his step-dad’s blessing felt more important than following the line of command, or whatever it was that Stacker called it.

“Thank you,” Chuck said quietly, and was almost too startled to catch the set of keys that was tossed his way.

“You’re welcome,” Stacker said, sliding his glasses back on in a way that was clearly a dismissal, and maybe a sign of approval.

Yancy was distracted, probably still smarting from getting busted whilst having a dust up with Tendo, and he barely looked up from his computer screen as he waved Chuck away.

“Sure, kid. Whatever you need,” He said, chewing on his lower lip as though he meant to make a meal of it. Chuck almost felt sorry for the bloke, but then he remembered Raleigh, and took his leave.

He felt ten kinds of awkward as he stood on the front step of Raleigh’s apartment building. The drive over hadn’t been long, but had given him ample time to reconsider his brash actions. He didn’t know this bloke from Adam, not really, and now he was inserting himself right in the middle of some kind of family drama. Mako would either be horrified, or pleased. He supposed her judgment would depend on how this whole mess sorted, she usually liked to wait for all the evidence to come in before making her judgments.

Then again, when Chuck’s second hit on the buzzer went unanswered, maybe there would be nothing for Mako to judge. He was about to give it up and turn tail back to the office when he caught sight of Raleigh, pet carrier in hand, through the small window panes in the door. Their eyes met, and Raleigh stuttered to a stop in the middle of the lobby, perfect lips seemingly forming the syllables of Chuck’s name. Chuck waved, a bit dorkily he’d admit, and stepped back out of the way when Raleigh pushed the door open.

“Chuck, what?” Raleigh bumped the carrier against his thigh as he side-stepped through the doorway.

“I, uh, thought you might need a ride.” Chuck offered, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

“Did, um…” Raleigh’s eyes darted away and looked up and down the street, looking for his cab, or maybe his brother. It wasn’t hard to figure what he was trying to ask, and Chuck felt his stomach clench a little.

“Not running an errand for Yancy today,” he said. “Just, I don’t have much to do on this project and I was thinking of… Taco.” He glanced down, could see through the mesh sides that Taco was curled up in the folds of a very soft looking blanket. Christ, this was depressing. What the hell was he thinking, coming here like this?

“Thank you,” Raleigh said, a little fierce, and Chuck lifted his gaze to find a pale face and red-rimmed blue eyes. “I really, I really appreciate this.” He smiled, a little, and Chuck’s stomach clenched again, but for an entirely different reason.

“No worries, mate.” Chuck replied, and he waited for Raleigh to make a move. He certainly wasn’t going to hustle the bloke into moving faster than he could, he couldn’t imagine that he was exactly in a hurry to reach their destination. After a moment, Raleigh drew in a deep breath, and nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “I guess we should get going.”

Chuck had parked somewhat illegally, fairly certain that he wouldn’t be long and would appreciate being close to the building, but it was still a huge relief to get back to Stacker’s car and find it exactly where he’d left it with no tickets on the windscreen.

“Your car?” Raleigh asked as settled the carrier on his lap.

“Oh, ha, no. Stacker’s actually.” Chuck said. “One of the perks of being the boss’s step-son, I s’pose.”

“Hmm,” Raleigh hummed. “According to Yancy, the boss hasn’t lowered any standards as far as you’re concerned. Might even be a bit tougher on you to try and get away from any ideas of nepotism.”

That wasn’t news to Chuck, but it was certainly gratifying to hear it from someone else.

“Well, reckon I’ve got it pretty good, even still.” Chuck said, recalling Yancy’s comment about their mother’s passing. He’d overheard Stacker and his father talking about the Beckets more than once, and it seemed that if their father was still alive, he wasn’t part of their lives. Chuck had lost his mum, and no one could ever replace her, but he had family, as unconventional as they might be.

“Take a left on 46th street,” Raleigh said, shaking Chuck from his ruminations. He didn’t try and engage the bloke in more conversation; he could almost feel the tension building as they drew nearer to their destination. By the time they pulled into the small parking lot in front of Little Paws Animal Hospital Raleigh was barely holding it together, breath hitching as he clumsily unbuckled his seat belt.

Raleigh stopped suddenly as they were about to walk into the clinic, and Chuck almost walked right into him. “Um, thanks for the ride, but you don’t have to stay.” He didn’t quite make eye contact as the words came spilling out, and Chuck thought about it for a second, but only a second, and he shook his head and reached past him to pull the door open.

“I’ll wait for ya,” he said, and Raleigh nodded jerkily before crossing the threshold.

The room was bright and airy, and felt all wrong for the purpose of their visit, but they’d barely stepped inside before two people in patterned scrubs, a young man and an older woman, were on either side of Raleigh.

“Oh, dear, come on right back, okay?” the woman laid a hand on Raleigh’s shoulder, and Chuck could almost see him shake beneath her touch.

“Hi Ruthie, Cheung,” Raleigh murmured, obviously trying to summon a smile for the familiar clinic staff.

“Oh, are you-?” The man, Cheung presumably, looked back at Chuck, who shook his head quickly.

“No, no, I’m waiting. Just the driver, yeah,” Chuck said, because there were limits, right, and the staff seemed to be ready to dispense the kind of casual affection that the bloke clearly needed.

Ruthie led Raleigh down a hallway to the left, and Chuck hung back awkwardly before taking a seat. The waiting room seemed quiet, one other woman with a dopey looking basset hound was reading an issue of National Geographic in the corner, and the receptionist tapped away behind the counter, but otherwise it was just Chuck, and the vague, pleasant smell of animals.

“It might be a little while,” Cheung offered, lingering a little in the hallway entrance to look back at Chuck. “The procedure itself won’t take long, but we don’t want to rush him.”

“No problem, I’ll be here.” Chuck said, and he didn’t think it was too awful if he hoped that Raleigh didn’t linger overmuch. It wouldn’t make it any easier, putting it off an extra hour or so. And Raleigh seemed to agree, because it wasn’t quite a half hour later when he re-emerged with his entourage, and though Ruthie was holding the carrier it was Raleigh who had the little blankets fisted in his hands.

Ruthie held the carrier out to Chuck, who jumped to his feet and grabbed the proffered handles. Raleigh seemed dazed, the skin under his eyes swollen and cheeks flushed red, and he huddled with the staff as they finalized the gruesome transaction.

“Thank you for waiting,” Raleigh said, oddly formal, as Chuck held the door open for him, and Chuck didn’t really know what to say, so he didn’t say anything. The drive back to Raleigh’s was just as silent, and it was pretty clear that Raleigh wasn’t up for company, at least, not with a veritable stranger, so Chuck just pulled up to the curb in front of the building entrance.

“Oh,” Raleigh looked around, as though unsure how they’d gotten back to his home, and in jerky movements pulled himself out of the car, holding the blankets close to his chest with one hand. His gaze fell on the carrier, on the floor of the backseat and he obviously hesitated.

“Uh, why don’t I hang onto that, mate? Just… for now.” Chuck said, figuring Raleigh wouldn’t need the reminder that he didn’t exactly need the thing anymore.

“Yeah, thanks. Thanks, Chuck,” Raleigh nodded, and made a brief attempt at eye contact. “Really, thank you, so much. Hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Nah, happy to help,” Chuck said, leaning a bit over the console. Raleigh nodded, gave another wincing smile and wave, and shut the car door.

Chuck watched him walk up the steps, looking as though each step was a struggle, and found himself wishing he could wrap the sorry sod up in his own blankets, work his fingers through that soft looking blond hair.

Maybe Raleigh Becket was trouble after all.

* * *

 

Chuck didn’t forget about him, no chance of that happening, but as the days passed he figured that his part in Raleigh’s life would be forever relegated to a walk-on role. He couldn’t just randomly show up on the bloke’s stoop for a third time, and Yancy seemed to be courting either caffeine poisoning or a nervous breakdown so Chuck figured questions about his brother’s dead cat might not be welcome.

And he was right, but in the end he didn’t exactly have a choice.

“Well, now, baby Hansen, what did these poor designs do to you?”

Chuck ground his teeth as he shuffled the papers he’d been making notes on. “Piss off, Choi. Don’t you have some kind of hair gel convention to get to?”

“Oh, that really hurts, Chuck,” Tendo leaned his hip against Chuck’s desk and clutched at his heart. Yancy, not bothering to look up from his own set of papers, snorted.

“Leave ‘im alone, Tendo. He’s busy, you know, doing his job.”

“As it turns out, Yance-y, I am here to talk to young Chuck about just that. His job,” Tendo smirked, but there was something assessing about his gaze.

“Well, let’s hear it, then,” Chuck leaned back and spread his hands.

“I didn’t know that your duties included chauffeur services, in Stacker’s town car no less.” Tendo shrugged, and Yancy frowned a little at the mention of their boss.

“Tendo, you know that Chuck ran an errand for me last week, and he was driving my shitty Toyota.”

“I’m talking about where he went the next day,” Tendo wagged a finger in Yancy’s direction.

“I don’t think it’s any of our business if Chuck left to attend to a family matter.” Yancy rolled his eyes at Chuck, as if to say _can you believe this guy?_ , and Chuck would feel gratitude at how his boss had his back, except he knew where this was going, and Yancy obviously didn’t.

“Depends on whose family,” Tendo countered, “And I’m not trying to give the kid a hard time, just wanted to let him know that Raleigh really appreciated it.”

“What?” Yancy asked, brow furrowing as he looked between his friend and his intern, one smug, one guilty.

“Chuck drove Rals to the vet on Thursday.” Tendo explained. “Pretty nice of him, don’t you think?”

“Just, uh, it was nothing, really. When I dropped his stuff off we chatted a bit, and so…” Chuck trailed off as Yancy’s expression smoothed out into a blank mask.

“Well,” he said stiffly. “That wasn’t necessary, Chuck, but it was very kind of you.”

“Very kind,” Tendo agreed, and finally seemed to take the hint that it was well past time to slink back to his own desk. Fucking stickybeak.

Chuck chanced a glance back at Yancy, but his boss had already turned his attention back to his computer screen, and it seemed as though he might dodge the situation altogether, until Stacker appeared shortly after five and dropped a bomb.

Well, that was perhaps a little dramatic. Stacker was going to stay later than planned, and so he reasonably suggested that Chuck commute back to La Grange with Yancy, instead of waiting around for god knows how long. Any other day, Chuck would have been grateful for the ride, and not exactly put out about spending a bit more time in his boss’s company, but thanks to Tendo…

Yancy was uncharacteristically silent for the whole ride, aside from the occasional grumble under his breath about traffic, and Chuck took the hint and made himself look busy on his iPhone. By the end he was reduced to checking weather updates in Sydney, just for kicks, and he’d never been so relieved to see the stupid red mailbox at the end of their drive.

“See ya tomorrow, kid,” Yancy said, and he didn’t sound mad, but Chuck didn’t waste any time getting out of the car.

“Right, mate. Thanks,” he slapped a hand on the roof in farewell and slung his messenger bag over his shoulder.

The next morning there was an obnoxiously bright green post-it stuck to the blotter on Chuck’s desk, Yancy’s barely legible scrawl recognizable from five steps, and Chuck faltered when he saw that it was a phone number, with Raleigh’s name dashed above it. He risked a glance at the note-leaver in question, but Yancy was staring resolutely at his computer screen.

So, it would appear that Yancy wasn’t bothered by Chuck sort-of befriending his little brother, and that he was as emotionally constipated as any Hansen man. He supposed that at least if Stacker went ahead with adopting the bloke he’d fit right in.

Might be weird, though, considering Chuck’s burgeoning crush on the sod’s brother. A crush that Chuck had been forced to recognize when he took special care to set a certain pet carrier on a shelf in his bedroom. Raleigh didn’t seem to be opposed to spending time with Chuck, and purely by accident Chuck felt he’d managed to make an uncommonly good impression. He knew he didn’t exactly have a great track record when it came to making friends, his dry sense of humour often mistaken for derision, but circumstances being what they were, Chuck had been on his best behavior with the bloke. And it seemed as though Raleigh had little recollection of their disastrous first meeting, which was a definite plus.

Thus it was important that Chuck carefully consider his opening salvo. He and Raleigh didn’t really know each other after all, and their two points of commonality were equally tricky to bring up; a dead cat and a cagey brother. Though, one of those points did seem promising – Raleigh seemed like to animals, and as far as animals went Max was cream of the crop. It took a bit of online research to figure out how to best utilize the advantage of owning the best dog ever. Still, before he could enact his cunning plan, he needed to engage the bloke, and crafting that first text message included a lot of starts and stops.

_Hey mate, Chuck here. Hope you’re doing okay…_

With a grumble he deleted the words. Felt a little formal, and maybe a bit too much on the feelings side of things. Chuck wouldn’t be doing okay if he’d had to put Max down, but was it weird to acknowledge that?

_Hey mate, Chuck here. Got your number from Yancy…_

Ugh, no. No mentions of Yancy, at least not right out of the gate.

_Hey mate, Chuck here. Just wanted to check in and figured a text would be less weird than showing up on your doorstep… again._

Should he point out that he’d been a little stalker-y? Did it come off funny, or desperate? Frowning, and a little frustrated at his own indecision, Chuck hit send before he could start over again. It was ridiculous, Raleigh seemed a decent enough bloke, and unlike Chuck, he probably wouldn’t be whipping out his decoder ring to suss out any underlying meaning to the words. Sure enough, Raleigh didn’t seem to dither in his response and a response pinged back minutes later.

**Hey Chuck! Thanks for checking in. I’m ok. Got buried at work after taking two days off, but the distraction helped.**

Chuck was trying to figure out how to direct the conversation further when another text came in.

**I’ve been meaning to get in touch and thank you for everything you did. I really appreciated it. Maybe I could buy you a beer sometime? Promise I’ll be less of a bummer :)**

Grinning widely, Chuck couldn’t help be pleased that Raleigh had swiftly cut through all his methodological planning with his blunt offer. The bloke seemed to be the lay the cards on the table type, and Chuck didn’t mind that at all. He could save his Max plan for another day.

_You don’t need to repay me, but I never say no to beer._

* * *

 

They made plans to meet up at a pub in Wicker Park that Friday after work and spent the evening arguing good-naturedly about just about everything from hockey to Star Trek while sharing a pitcher of PBR and basket of hot wings. Raleigh didn’t take offense at Chuck’s verbal jabs, and came back with a few of his own zingers, and they jostled elbows jokingly over the last chicken wing. Chuck couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten on so well with someone, and it was hard to believe that a few weeks ago he’d written the bloke off as a right arsehole.

The Friday pub nights became a semi-regular occurrence, and it was well worth the hassle of getting back to La Grange on his own on public transit. It had been a while since Chuck had had a proper mate, and he couldn’t even work up a temper over how obviously pleased Herc and Stacker acted over something as simple as a friendship. One would think that Chuck was completely socially inept by their reaction to a simple friendship.

Of course, it wasn’t just friendship that Chuck was after, not anymore. Raleigh was smart, smarter than Chuck had given him credit for, smarter than Raleigh gave himself credit for, and funny, and he didn’t waste time posturing but he didn’t take shit from anyone, either. And, Christ, he was bloody gorgeous. Chuck had to consciously focus on keeping his hands on the sticky pub table after a pint, because the urge to reach out and touch was almost too strong to resist.

Raleigh didn’t seem opposed to spending time in Chuck’s company, and their ankles often brushed underneath the table, but Chuck wasn’t entirely sure how to transition out of the comfortable pattern they’d established. Until he remembered his initial brilliant plan involving Max.

“So, uh, y’know Max,” Chuck cleared his throat and thumped his pint glass on the table a little.

“Yes, you’ve mentioned your awesome dog a time or two,” Raleigh smirked, and Chuck huffed out a small laugh. He didn’t bother with his usual bluster; there was something so disarming about the cheeky bastard, maybe it was the way his blue eyes sparkled when he was teasing. Chuck certainly wouldn’t mind another kind of teasing… he shut down that thought and tried to circle back to his original point.

“Well, he’s a little bored of the trails in La Grange, and I hear tell that your area has a decent park,” Chuck shrugged.

“Decent? Chuck, it has a _lagoon_. It’s awesome, which makes it perfect for your awesome dog,” Raleigh said, and there might have been a knowing glint in his eye, but Chuck was way past feeling ashamed of his obvious ploy.

“You’ll have to show us the sights, then. I hope you can back up this big talk.” Chuck smirked and took a draw of his beer.

“By now you should know better than to doubt me,” Raleigh shook his head in mock despair. “Are you free this weekend? It looks like the weather will be good, and I really want to meet Max. It’s absurd that you haven’t introduced us yet, now that I think on it.”

“You’re absurd,” Chuck retorted, and then had to hide a wince at how immature it sounded. Raleigh laughed, though, threw his head back and all, and Chuck was only human, and he had no choice but to smile in the face of the bloke’s delight. He’d embarrass himself a hundred times over to hear that laugh, and maybe that should worry him, but when it came to Raleigh it was all too easy to let go of his old defenses.

Of course, that didn’t mean Chuck wasn’t suddenly sweating with nerves as he hunted for a parking space the next afternoon with Max panting happily in the backseat. Chuck had wanted to transition them into something less casual than grabbing an after-work pint, but now that he had… what if he fucked it up? What if he said something crass and Raleigh took offense? What if Raleigh didn’t see this as more than a chance to meet a mate’s pet? Or worse, what if Raleigh didn’t like Max?

Impossible, Chuck thought. Raleigh wasn’t a monster, and who could resist that wrinkly face? No one he wanted to associate with, that’s for certain.

Raleigh was waiting at the main gate, just as he’d promised, and Chuck hoped he didn’t look too disheveled and sweaty in his t-shirt and jeans. Raleigh was wearing the same type of clothes, but the outfit looked loads better on him, and only the dorky way he was bouncing in his sneakers kept Chuck from losing his nerve entirely. But, Christ, his arse in those jeans…

Raleigh waited until they were within range, and then crouched down, offering his hand for Max to investigate from a distance, obviously trying to greet the dog with consideration, but Max fairly yanked the leash out of Chuck’s hand in his haste to meet this new human.

“Whoa, hey Max,” Raleigh was almost rocked back on his ass from the way the bulldog pushed up against his chest, and he laughed as he reached up to rub Max’s shoulders. “Aren’t you a friendly little guy,” he crooned.

“Sorry mate, he’s usually got better manners,” Chuck offered sheepishly, though obviously Raleigh had no issue with the enthusiastic greeting.

“That’s okay, Chuck,” Raleigh said, giving Max one last scratch behind the ears before pushing himself to his feet. Unfortunately, Max wasn’t ready to give up his new friend and bumped against Raleigh’s shins as he was standing, and the blond wobbled so alarmingly that Chuck reached out and grabbed him by the arm, just above his elbow.

“Max, enough,” Chuck nudged the dog back and then found himself standing very close to Raleigh, who was smiling, sweet and soft.

“Well, that’s embarrassing,” Raleigh said, and Chuck felt a frisson of worry until the bloke continued, “That’s twice your dog has almost knocked me on my ass in less than five minutes.”

“Just means he likes ya,” Chuck assured with a cocky grin.

“Good,” Raleigh said, his gaze warm, and suddenly Chuck realized that he was still holding his arm, and standing close enough to count the long eyelashes that framed those baby blues, and he cleared his throat as he stepped back, reluctantly letting his hand drop.

“So, now you know my dog is as awesome as promised. Let’s see if you can hold up your end of the bargain with this park of yours,” Chuck tried for a little bluster, if only to get his feet back under, and Raleigh seemed willing to oblige him, holding one arm out dramatically.

“Well, then, after you,” he even bowed a little, the dork.

The park really was lovely and Raleigh was endlessly patient with the way Max lumbered to and fro, often stopping to investigate flowerbeds, lamp posts and random patches of dirt on the walking trail. They chatted easily, comparing unconventional childhoods, and Chuck was a little awed by all the travel the Beckets had done, and definitely impressed by the amount of languages Raleigh spoke. The stories dwindled as Raleigh got older, whole years skipped, and it was easy to see the sad outline of those puzzle pieces; dead mother, absent father, and the struggle of growing up way too fast. Chuck had experienced some of that, but he was definitely getting an appreciation for the things he hadn’t gone without. Herc might have been completely lost when it came to reaching his son after the death of his wife, but he’d never left, and he’d been pretty good about the hits Chuck sent his way when Stacker and Mako first entered the picture.

Chuck didn’t notice how much time had passed until Max let out an annoyed huff and sat down, stubbornly refusing to be budged.

“Ah, sorry. He does this sometimes,” Chuck rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, but Raleigh just laughed.

“Well he picked a decent spot to take a break.” He said, and gestured at the gentle grassy slope facing the lagoon. Chuck managed to coax Max to cross the small distance off the path and once Raleigh and Chuck had settled down in the grass the bulldog flopped down between them with a pleased groan. “Poor Max,” Raleigh said, as he stroked a hand down the dog’s back.

“Poor Max is pretty spoiled,” Chuck admitted with a chuckle.

“Ah well, he’s a good dog. You’ve obviously got him well trained, and it’s nice to spoil your pet a little. They ask so little of us, in comparison to what they give.” Raleigh’s voice softened as he spoke. “We traveled way too much as kids to have a family pet, and when I found Taco my mom was already sick. My dad was not impressed, there was so much going on, and he said I’d have to pay for Taco’s care by myself if I wanted to keep him. He didn’t think I’d do it, but I had some money saved up, and the vet let me do a payment plan, even knocked some of it off in return for volunteer hours at the shelter.”

It was the first time Raleigh had spoken about Taco since that fateful trip to the animal clinic, and the first time he’d directly mentioned his father, and Chuck was overtly conscious of how easy it would be to fuck everything up in this one moment.

“Sounds like a good bloke, the vet.” Chuck said, grasping at something neutral to say. He had a lot of things he wanted to say about Raleigh’s father, but that would hardly be appropriate, at least, not yet.

“He was, yeah.” Raleigh smiled a little, but it barely reached his eyes. “And that cat was with me through a lot of shit, you know? I mean, he wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but he was a pretty good listener.”

“I get it. Max, uh, he got me and my old man through a pretty tough spot. After my mum passed, well, we didn’t get on so well alone, the two of us. Might say we’re both a bit stubborn,” Chuck said cheekily, inviting Raleigh to laugh with him at the obvious understatement, and Raleigh didn’t hesitate to join in.

“Yeah. They give us their trust, and affection, and in return they just ask for the basics. Food, shelter. We get a good deal out of it, that’s for sure.” Raleigh leaned down to rub Max’s ears.

“You ever think about, uh, getting another pet?” Chuck asked, and Raleigh shrugged.

“All the time, but it feels too soon right now.” He said, and Chuck nodded.

“Well,” he bit his lip, “Uh, I’m not much of a conversationalist, or a great listener, really, but if you ever need someone to talk to I’d be willing to try.”

“Chuck,” Raleigh said softly, his gaze fixed on Chuck’s blushing face. “You are…”

“I’m what?” Chuck said, pushing a little, but desperate to fill in that blank. How did Raleigh see him? He’d had a lifetime of people making assumptions about him, people who tried to sum him up with one word, and usually the word was stubborn, or arrogant, or insert random pejorative here. That hadn’t mattered to him, not much, not in the long run, but Raleigh? Raleigh mattered.

“Surprising,” Raleigh smiled. “You surprise me all the time.”

“In a good way, I hope,” Chuck huffed. Was it good? The soft affection in Raleigh’s gaze seemed to suggest so.

“Very good. I’ve never known anyone like you, Chuck Hansen.” Raleigh murmured, and that definitely sounded good. Chuck felt warmth trickling down his spine, and reached out to press his palm to Max’s spine, close enough to Raleigh’s hand that their pinkies touched. The bloke smiled, moving his hand to cover Chuck’s completely, and Chuck leaned in, subtle, just in case he was really reading this wrong, but Raleigh ducked close, too, and pressed that soft, pink mouth to Chuck’s. Chuck sighed, relief and happiness and warmth loosening the muscles in his shoulders until he was almost putting too much weight on Max’s broad back.

Raleigh pulled away a little, still smiling, and Chuck wanted to follow him, didn’t want any space between them, but some part of his brain was still functioning enough to realize that the middle of the park probably wasn’t the best location for this particular activity.

“Took you long enough, mate,” Chuck blurted, then winced. Maybe his brain wasn’t functional enough to attempt conversation yet. Though Raleigh didn’t seem to mind, in fact he burst out laughing.

“Jeez, give me a break,” he said. “After the complete disaster that was our first introduction I didn’t think I’d ever get a civil word from you, and the second meeting wasn’t much better… I mean first, I spill coffee on you, and then I cried on you about my cat. I still don’t understand why you still wanted to hang out with me,” Raleigh rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks flushed, and it was goddamn adorable. Like, puppy Max trying to figure out the stairs levels of cute. Chuck kind of wanted to wrap the ridiculous sod up in his arms and never let go.

“See, you’re coming at this from the entirely wrong direction,” Chuck said loftily, emboldened by knowing that Raleigh felt just as insecure as he had.

“Oh? Do tell,” Raleigh smirked, and started twirling a blade of grass between his fingers.

“I already know you’re a terrible klutz and a crazy cat lady, and I still like you, so,” Chuck shrugged. “You’re going to have to work a lot harder than that to shake me now.”

“And what if I want to keep you?” Raleigh asked shyly, ducking his chin and then looking up at Chuck through those impossibly long eyelashes.

“You’re all set on that one, I’d say,” Chuck brushed his fingertips from the bloke’s temple and across his jaw to nudge his chin up for a quick kiss. He might have lingered, nuzzling a little, but then Max reared up with a huff and decided to get in on the action, generously doling out slobbery kisses between them.

“Oh yes, you too, Max,” Raleigh laughed, rubbing the dog’s ears affectionately. Chuck leaned back a little, content to just watch his beloved pup and the gorgeous bloke, _his boyfriend,_ a small, giddy part of his brain supplied, warm from sunshine and kisses. Maybe Raleigh was right, it didn’t make sense that they had come together like this, but Chuck could only feel grateful that they had.

Now if he could just keep the elder Becket and his absurd bow-tie wearing sidekick from mucking it up… Still, Chuck was confident he could handle the duo. His promise that Raleigh would have to work hard to lose him was not lightly meant, and when Raleigh stopped goofing around with Max long enough to meet Chuck’s gaze, warm and soft, Chuck was powerless to do anything but smile back.

**Author's Note:**

> This story obviously needs 100% more fluffy kittens so I'm already working on additional installments involving more Yancy and more cats. Mostly more cats.


End file.
